Novell Previews NetWare 6.5

Code-named Nakoma, NetWare 6.5 is slated to be available as an open beta this spring and to ship by midyear. The upgrade features advanced portal capabilities plus integrated collaboration and business-continuity functions, including a new backup utility and iSCSI support to enable low-cost SANs.

In addition, NetWare 6.5's new Virtual Office interface brings extensive customization options and a Web-based desktop that gives one-stop access to iPrint and iFolder Web services; team workspace services; and calendar, news and directory information. A new "virtual teams" feature,similar to Microsoft's SharePoint Team Services,also enables users to collaborate on multiple files from a browser.

"The browser becomes the workplace of the future," said Rob Seely, NetWare product line manager at Novell. "From a channel standpoint, there's tremendous value they can add in a single upgrade."

With NetWare 6.5, Novell also enhanced Web services functionality by integrating the ExteNd application server plus SOAP and UDDI support. Another key feature is the integration of Novell's dirXML connectors, which synchronize Novell eDirectory with Microsoft Active Directory. The new iManage feature lets administrators upgrade servers remotely, and the NetWare Server Consolidation Utility allows users to consolidate data into a central environment and drag and drop files, directories and data onto a SAN.

Michael Goldstein, vice president of sales and marketing at LAN Associates, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based solution provider, said Novell and Microsoft are on the right track with portal and Web services support.

"We're starting to get clients looking at portals, and the revision of Novell Portal Services shows that Novell,and Microsoft,are starting to come together on that," Goldstein said. "We've seen the application development features, and it's phenomenal."